Power in performance Acceso a las artes

Power in performance

The free arts program “Empower Youth Through Performance” from Statement Arts is returning to United Palace.

This summer, a free program in Washington Heights will offer young people an introduction to music and theater, and help artistically inclined high schoolers prepare for college.

The program, titled “Empower Youth Through Performance,” is presented by Statement Arts, a non-profit outfit focused on bringing performing arts to underserved individuals.

Statement Arts Founder and Creative Director Liza Politi said the goal is to empower minority and low-income youth through arts education that goes beyond the classroom.

“We want to level the playing field for creative kids,” she said. “All children in New York City should have the same opportunities.”

This year’s classes will take place in July at United Palace of Cultural Arts (UPCA).

On Wed., May 7th, an informational meeting will be held at Word Up Community Bookshop, so local families can learn about the program.

The college preparatory course offers high school seniors voice lessons and interpretive coaching.

Empower Youth Through Performance consists of two distinct offerings, both of which are free to participants, beyond an initial registration fee.

Youth courses, taught by professional theater artists, instruct children on how to sing and dance and allow them to present their own show with songs from Broadway musicals. These classes are offered to kids in grades three through six, or seven through ten.

In the college preparatory course, high school seniors are given voice lessons and interpretive coaching, as well as advanced classes in auditioning and performance techniques.

“This year, we also added a writing component to assist high schoolers with college applications and essays,” said Politi.

Zahaira Curiel, Program Director at Statement Arts, said that her own experience as an arts student emphasized the need young people have for assistance with college applications.

Youth courses instruct children on how to sing and dance.

“I knew that I wanted to study music and theater, but didn’t know how to go about looking for a school that offered it, how to prepare for an audition or how to research scholarships,” explained Curiel.

“It was important for me to help create a program that could guide students through that process.”

Statement Arts originated at a Hells Kitchen public high school, based on Politi’s concern that many public school students have little or no access to the arts.

“Those programs are usually first on the chopping block,” she remarked.

Politi was then persuaded by Curiel, a Washington Heights native, to bring the program uptown. This will be Statement Arts’ third year in Washington Heights, and the program’s second time at United Palace.

“It was important for me to help create a program that could guide [high school] students,” explained Program Director Zahaira Curiel.

“While I was growing up in Washington Heights, there weren’t any arts programs that I was aware of,” said Curiel.

“Coming from a low-income household, affording expensive lessons was very difficult,” she added.

Statement Arts seeks to provide access to children who might not normally have the financial resources to participate in such courses, and class sizes are intentionally kept small to give personal attention to each student.

Politi said that the college preparatory class has been very successful in helping participants continue their education.

“We had one high school student last year who was accepted to the Berklee School of Music,” said Politi.

For younger children, the Statement Arts program exposes them to performance for the first time, and can instill a lasting interest in music and theater.

“Just learning how to express themselves is very important, as kids are often talked at instead of listened to.”

While both Politi and Curiel expressed hope that their program can one day grow into a year-round operation, they are pleased that, for now, they can help make summers a little bit brighter for area youth.

“When a kid receives applause for their achievements,” said Politi, “it has a profound effect – it can change their life.”

The Statement Arts summer youth classes will be held from July 14 to 18, and July 21 to 25; the college preparatory courses take place from July 7 to 25. Both are held at United Palace of Cultural Arts, located 4140 Broadway, New York, New York.

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